here - National Union of Teachers

PROTECTING TEACHERS
Michael Gove says he is at war with the teacher unions
In January 2012 he said that teachers are “happy with
failure" and "enemies of promise”
We say Michael Gove is waging a war on teachers – and
now NUT & NASUWT are fighting back with a joint
programme of lobbying, rallies, action short of strike
action and strike action
THE WAR ON TEACHERS
What Gove has done so far:
• Pay freeze and real terms cuts in funding
• Attack on pensions
• Attack on performance management
• Forced academisation of schools
• Attack on the national pay structure in schools
What he may do in future:
• Attack on conditions – limits on hours, PPA time,
protection from cover
THE RESULT
NUT/YouGov survey on teacher morale (Jan 2013)
• 55% say morale is low or very low
• Up 13% since April 2012
• 77% disagree with pay determination by head
teachers or governors
“If anyone says to you that 'staff morale is at an all-time
low', you know you are doing something right."
- Ofsted Chief Inspector Michael Wilshaw, Dec 2011
PAY – CUT BY 15% UNDER GOVE
During the Coalition Government’s term of office:
• Pay freeze for 2011 and 2012
• 1% limits for 2013 and 2014
• Pension contributions up on average by 3.2%
Impact including inflation
• Over 15% loss of spending power
Can we afford to stay in teaching?
THE NEW PAY ATTACKS (1)
• End of mandatory pay scales in schools – main and
upper scales replaced by ranges, no fixed points
• More PRP - all pay progression linked to appraisal
and to individual teachers’ performance
• Portability of current pay entitlements and UPS
status abolished
• Head teachers and governing bodies will decide how
much to pay new teachers, whether teachers
progress and by how much
THE NEW PAY ATTACKS (2)
• Draft 2013 STPCD will be in all schools at the start of
the summer term
• Governing bodies to adopt new pay policies and
appraisal policies linked to pay for September 2013
• Decisions based on PRP for all teachers beginning in
September 2014
• An obvious threat to teachers in academies and
colleges as well
10 REASONS TO OPPOSE GOVE'S
PAY PROPOSALS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
He wants to abolish fixed pay points on the pay scales – so no
guarantee that you will progress by the same amount as now
He wants PRP for all teachers – even though it doesn’t work in
schools, and decisions will be based on funding or whether your
face fits
He wants to end Main Scale progression based on length of
service – hitting recruitment and retention of new teachers by
creating doubts about pay progression
He wants even closer links for appraisal and pay – ending any
chance of a process that supports your professional
development
He wants to change the threshold process – almost certainly to
cut the number of teachers moving to the Upper Pay Scale
10 REASONS TO OPPOSE GOVE'S
PAY PROPOSALS
6.
He wants fixed-term responsibility payments worth less than now
– and maybe to review the whole TLR system
7. He wants heads and governors to waste time negotiating pay with
every teacher – not supporting teaching and learning
8. He wants schools to be allowed to cut your pay when you move
school – teachers will be scared to move and women on career
breaks will be hit hardest of all
9. He intends to limit our 2013 increase by only 1% – while inflation
and increased pension contributions eat away at our purchasing
power.
10. He has accepted the STRB’s view that this is only a first stage in
reform – even bigger changes may be in store if we don’t stop this
now
WHY GOVE'S PAY PROPOSALS ARE A
THREAT TO EVERY TEACHER
Think your head teacher won't want to take advantage by
holding down your pay?
• Ofsted will be asked to make sure that they do
Think you will progress as fast or faster than now?
• Funding pressures or a change of manager could change that
Think you aren’t affected because you’re already at the top of
the pay scale?
• Further changes could affect every one of us
PENSIONS – ALREADY ATTACKED
Pension contribution increases already being imposed
• An average 50% hike in the amount you pay for your pension
• Completely unrelated to the funding of the pensions scheme
– taking money from teachers to pay for the recession
Changes to the pension scheme from 2015 onwards
• Pay more – these contribution increases are permanent
• Work longer – younger teachers to work to 68 or even longer
• Get less – due to lower “career average” pensions and
changes to pensions indexation
WORKLOAD & WORKING CONDITIONS
Workload and working time remain excessive – but now we face
possible threats to:
• the working time limits of 195 days and 1,265 hours
• the entitlement to 10% PPA time in schools
• limits on the obligation to cover
Their statutory force is already removed in academies – now
potentially under threat in schools as well
Taking a stand on workload is consistent with regaining our
autonomy and professionalism
PAY AND FUNDING
Pay increase for September 2013
• Government pay limit - an average 1% increase - to apply
• STRB asked to advise on “adjustments to the salary scales … to
reflect the average 1%” – no guarantee of any increase yet
• Negotiations in colleges and academies not yet under way
Funding for 2013-14 already announced
• Zero cash increase per pupil for schools - “MFG” allows
schools to get <1.5% less per pupil after formula changes Pupil Premium is little compensation for these cuts
• Colleges hit even harder by funding and formula changes
THE NUT'S RESPONSE
• NUT and NASUWT joint programme of lobbying, rallies,
action short of strike action and strike action
• Regional “Rallies for Education” open to all
• Continuation/escalation of action short of strike action
• Strike action from June on a rolling regional basis –
with national strike action in the autumn if necessary
• See details at www.teachers.org.uk/campaigns/pay
• But Michael Gove can avoid all this by agreeing to back
down and negotiate
CONTINUING / ESCALATING ASOS
We can win the withdrawal of Gove's proposals
through the threat of national strike action
But a “school by school” strategy as well –
• continue and deepen the existing ASOS in schools
and colleges
• NUT & NASUWT model pay policy / checklist to
protect pay scales, pay progression and portability
• escalation of action where schools don’t adopt a pay
policy compliant with our checklist
GETTING MEMBERS’ SUPPORT
Your Union needs the support of its members
• Talk to your NUT and NASUWT colleagues
• Encourage them to write to their MPs – use the
facility at www.teachers.org.uk/campaigns/pay
• Support the regional Rallies for Education
• Build support for ASOS and for strike action when the
time comes
• Elect an NUT rep if there isn’t one already
WE ARE WINNING THE ARGUMENT
Most teachers reject Gove
• ASOS - protecting teachers but also showing that it is
we not Gove who know the value of teaching
The public also rejects his views
• eBacc petition – almost 30,000 signatures helped
force Gove to withdraw his proposals for the EBCs
We can see off this Government’s attacks on teachers
and our education system!